Philip DeFina

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Philip DeFina is the founder of International Brain Research Foundation, an organization predominantly focused on issues of brain death and brain trauma. DeFina is a highly controversial doctor of clinical psychology, known for getting involved in fringe cases. He has been heavily criticized for offering false hope to families at an extraordinarily high price.

[edit] Credentials

DeFina's doctorate is from an online college called Fielding Graduate University. While technically accredited by the APA, questions have been raised about how rigorous the standards are and the true validity of DeFina's credentials.

[edit] Cases

DeFina first gained media attention in 2012 when he was fired from the New Jersey Medowlands Hospital after it came to light that he was using a totally unproven "treatment" for autism. DeFina was placing autistic children in hyperbaric chambers at massive expense to families as it was not covered by insurance. Families were paying DeFina over $100,000 for a treatment that was having no effect. After applying for research support DeFina's colleagues protested his research, accused him of profiting off of false hope and ultimately forced him to pull his application. He was fired soon after. [1]

DeFina then started his own non-profit where he appears to be continuing his work profiting off of false hope. In 2014, he once again gained media attention when he claimed that Jahi McMath, a young girl previously declared brain dead and being kept alive by life support, was actually not dead at all. The lawyer for the family used DeFina's analysis to sue to have the declaration of brain death reversed. Court-appointed, independent researchers rejected DeFina's analysis saying it was improperly done, did not show what he claimed, and used flawed methodology.[2] DeFina has attempted to use the McMath case to raise money online.[3]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. Meadowlands hospital neuroscientist fired over controversial autism treatment
  2. Tests show Jahi McMath has brain activity, lawyer says
  3. Help Save A Human Life
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